Ei licensees in Love Your Pub campaign

Ei Publican Partnerships has launched a nationwide campaign urging consumers to celebrate their love for pubs, with the goal of driving footfall and sales in the coming weeks.

Ahead of Valentine’s Day and key trading occasions such as Mother’s Day and St Patrick’s Day, the Love Your Pub campaign is designed to ignite consumer interest in Great British pubs, reinforcing their role at the heart of local communities.

During the six-week campaign period, consumers will have the chance to win beer for a year at more than 1,000 participating pubs, as well as being able to claim a free pint via a ‘buy one, get one free’ offer at www.freedrinkoffer.co.uk. Participating brewers include Heineken, Molson Coors, Diageo and Meantime.

Publicans can also nominate themselves as a community champion through the Great British Pubs Facebook page for the chance to win one of a number of free barrels of beer from brewers including Greene King, Exmoor Ales, Marston’s, Wadworth and Timothy Taylor.

Ei Publican Partnerships has conducted consumer research which demonstrates the public’s enduring love of the Great British pub. Key findings show that 18.2m people consider themselves regulars at their local pub and 13m say it’s important for them to live within walking distance of a good pub. Furthermore, 6.2m people claim their happiest memories were made in a pub.

One in four respondents believe an important role of the publican is to act as community champion, and more than a quarter (27%) believe pubs are the best place to raise money for local charities or good causes.

The pub’s role as the original social network is illustrated by the fact that 21.8m state their local is the best place to socialise with others from their community.